NEW YORK – The Chicago Bulls’ Tom Thibodeau and the Portland Trail Blazers’ Nate McMillan today were named the NBA Eastern and Western Conference Coaches of the Month, respectively, for games played in April.

Thibodeau led the Bulls to a league-best 8-0 record for April. He coached them to victories over Boston, Orlando and New York and locked up the league’s best record. Thibodeau’s Bulls are riding a nine-game winning streak as they prepare to face Indiana in the first round. In his first season as a head coach, Thibodeau has been selected as Coach of the Month three times (January and March).

McMillan guided the Trail Blazers to a 5-2 record, the best of any Western Conference team for April. Key victories over Oklahoma City, Dallas, the Los Angeles Lakers and Memphis helped put Portland in the postseason as the sixth seed. With McMillan at the helm, Portland has reached the playoffs for the third consecutive season and will take on Dallas in the opening round.

Other nominees for Coach of the Month were Denver’s George Karl, Miami’s Erik Spoelstra, New York’s Mike D’Antoni and Oklahoma City’s Scott Brooks.